15 Australian Horror Movies You Must See Before You Die

1. The Babadook

Actress turned filmmaker Jennifer Kent’s directorial debut The Babadook tells the chilling tale of an overwrought and grieving single mother dealing with her hyperactive son whose dad died in an accident on the way to the hospital to deliver said kid.

A depressing enough situation is made even worse by the mysterious arrival of a rather terrifying children’s pop-up book about the titular Babadook, a nightmarish character who gradually manifests in reality. But it’s not all scary monsters. At its heart, The Babadook is a psychological horror that cleverly examines grief and depression while also scaring the hell out of its audience.

It was the smash indie horror hit of 2014 earning a modestly impressive $7.5 million on a $2 million budget, most of which came from overseas rather than its homeland. If you need any more proof of its brilliance, Exorcist director William Friedkin is a fan too.